Anyone who has ever operated a sailboat beating to weather in choppy water can attest to the relentless spray visited on the crew. Simply stated, the bow of the boat bobs up and down relative to the passing seas, throwing water into the air. The air, rushing over the surface of the water and boat hull, rapidly entrains the water carrying it aft into the eyes of the operating crew. The crew--who must look forward into the intended path of travel of the sailboat--are constantly bathed in sprays of relatively high velocity water. And when the water is salt water, stinging of the eyes results.
The solution to this problem is a structure known as a "dodger." The dodger is a shield having at least forward transparent walls behind which the crew can take refuge and even operate the boat in relative comfort.
Dodgers for sail boats are typically constructed of canvas draped over a series of pipe supports. In order understand the prior art, the system of pipe supports will be discussed first. Thereafter, the art of cutting and fitting of the canvas will be summarized.
Dodgers are supported on a system of pipe supports. Simply stated this system of pipe supports includes stainless steel forward and aft bows. The aft bow is typically hinge mounted to the after top portion of the deck house. This aft bow extends at an angle in the range of 30.degree. relative to the fore and aft line of the deck house to define an arcuate bow for supporting the leading edge of the dodger. From the aft bow there is mounted a forward bow. This forward bow is fastened to the aft bow at an elevated location slightly above the deck house over which the dodger is mounted. From its mounting, the forward bow extends at an angle again of about 30.degree. relative to the fore and aft line of the deck house. At its trailing edge, the aft bow defines a generally arcuate bow to which the trailing and open edge of the dodger is mounted. Typically there is added to the forward and/or aft bows and deck, one or more bars which maintain the system of bows as a rigid structure. Usually this system includes a vertical piece extending between the forward and aft bows and grad rails extending between the bows but mounted to the outside of the canvas surface of the dodger.
Making a dodger to fit the variant lines of sailboats is a work of art. Typically, the forward and aft bows have to be bent so that when they are angularly mounted at their respective 30.degree. angles to the deck, they follow both the camber of the top of the deck house as well as the typically inward canted sides of the deck house. There after, canvas is cut and custom sewn to fit the lines of the bows. The top of the dodger is of canvas. The front and side panels mount to the dodger usually in a one piece integral construction. When finished, a well made canvas dodger appears integral to the boat almost as if the dodger were part of the original boat construction.
Unfortunately, sewn canvas has a finite life which in an over simplified manner can be described in two stages. First, and with approximately three years of sun, wind and weather, the stitching breaks down and the dodger must be resewn. Secondly, and at the end of six years, the canvas must be replaced. In either case, the canvas changes dimension. Consequently, the dodger must be re-worked or replaced by a skilled artisan as a whole and refit to the system of bows. In short, the maintenance of canvas dodgers is a labor intensive task requiring a skilled artisan.
Canvas dodgers have their drawbacks. They are not easily removed. Complete disassembly of both the canvas as it attaches to the frame and finally the frame itself is required. Further, and depending upon the particular cockpit configuration of a sailboat, the clearance between the bottom of the dodger and the cockpit "well" entering the sail boat can be small and cramped for those entering and leaving the below deck space of the sail boat. Unfortunately, the standard canvas dodger cannot make provision for overhead opening to facilitate below deck access.